What Does It Take To Become A Family Caregiver In Everett?

Being a family caregiver is a position of significant responsibility and while each caregiver’s role encompasses different duties, there is a common thread uniting them all – a dedication to ensuring a loved one is given the love and assistance needed to preserve their quality of life. But how do you know if you are able to take on this role? Here are some common characteristics of caregivers:

• Take charge: If you’re a primary caregiver, you’re likely in charge of everything and tend to get little assistance from others. You need to be able to step up and organize everything from errands, cleaning and grocery shopping to doctor’s appointments, administering medication and supplying companionship, depending on our loved one’s requirements.
• Make sacrifices: Caring for a loved one is, above all things, time-consuming. On average, you will take on 80% of personal and medical-related care and up to 90% of home-related assistance. For many caregivers, this adds up to around four hours a day, every day of the week. For caregivers with loved ones who are more severely impaired, this can increase to 40 hours a week and being on-call 24 hours a day. This can be challenging, especially if you are holding down a career and managing a family of your own.
• Love: Being able to maintain a positive, loving relationship with the person in your care is a vital part of managing the role of caregiver. Key to this is knowing your own limits, setting realistic goals and enjoying meeting new challenges.
• Taking care of yourself: Many caregivers feel overwhelmed and anxious about their responsibilities and their ability to cope, especially if their loved one’s condition is progressively becoming more severe. Being able to give yourself the space and care you need to avoid burnout and maintain your own health and wellbeing is a vital characteristic of caregivers.

How a home care agency can assist you

One of the most important things to remember as a caregiver is that youe are not alone. Even if other family members and friends are unable to assist you, there are resources out there designed to give you the support you deserve. One such resource is a home care agency such as Companion Care.

We offer a full range of home care services ranging from respite care for the elderly to 24-hour care and end of life care. Our dedicated, highly trained staff can assist you by taking over some or all of your duties, temporarily or permanently. From light housekeeping and meal preparation to transporting your loved one and staying overnight, we can customize our services to ideally meet your needs, allowing you to spend quality time with your loved one.

For more information on respite care services and other home health care services available in Everett, please contact us today.

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